Hundreds Protest Employment Violations at Three Hollywood Carwashes

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.californiachronicle.com/articles/56920

Labor Desk
March 29, 2008

CLEAN Carwash Campaign Launches Series of Actions to Clean Up the Industry.

Los Angeles — Hundreds of protesters gathered at three Hollywood carwashes today to protest what they called dirty business practices by owner Bennie Pirian. Pirian-owned carwashes have been cited for violations of occupational safety and health as well as environmental laws, and they have been under scrutiny by labor enforcement agencies in the last year. Despite this, Pirian´s employees allege a series of on-going violations, including minimum wage and overtime violations and intimidation.

On Wednesday, March 27, the Community-Labor-Environmental Action Network, or the CLEAN Carwash Campaign, announced its plans to clean up the multi-million dollar carwash industry. CLEAN will highlight rampant violations of employment, health and safety, and environmental laws by Los Angeles carwash owners and urge the public not to patronize "dirty" carwashes.

Protesters from the CLEAN Coalition, including members of student groups, labor unions, worker centers, immigrant rights and interfaith groups, and community-based organizations gathered outside Vermont Hand Wash at 1666 N. Vermont Avenue, Hollywood Car Wash at 6200 W. Sunset Boulevard, and Celebrity Car Wash at 901 Vine Street to show their support for carwash workers, who they say work in appalling conditions for illegally low wages. CLEAN Carwash Campaign representatives say they will continue to rally at Pirian´s carwashes every week until the owner complies with all applicable laws and remedies past violations.

Art Pulaski, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the California Federation of Labor, said, "In this dirty industry, one of the dirtiest employers of them all owns the Vermont Car Wash, Bennie Pirian. We believe the public will vote with their feet–or their wheels–and drive on by Pirian´s carwashes."

According to a report released March 27th, Cleaning Up the Carwash Industry: Empowering Workers and Protecting Communities, carwash workers are often exposed to highly toxic chemicals during the cleaning process, including benzene, zinc, hydrogen fluoride, and other metals and acids.

"Car wash workers are the urban farm workers," said Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farmworkers. "They work in the hot sun, stooped over cars for 10 hours a day. Every day they work with dangerous chemicals that threaten their health and threaten our precious earth. Many work for illegally low wages or no wages at all, surviving only on tips. They are treated like dirty rags by abusive bosses who only care about profits. We will not let such injustice stand!"